The World Heart Day was founded in the year 2000 to increase global awareness on heart diseases and stroke. It is celebrated on 29th September each year. Through this initiative the World Heart Federation (WHF), informs people around the globe that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) including heart diseases and stroke are the leading causes of death claiming 17.9 million lives across the globe every year. On this day mass awareness programmes on the prevention and control of CVD is carried out globally.
This year the pandemic has created a chaos but we do know that taking care of our heart is more important than ever in the current scenario. Keeping this in mind, this year’s World Heart Day theme : “Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death on the planet.”
Anyone interested in celebrating this day can do so by being more attentive to their cardiac health and fitness. There are several ways to do that by taking part in physical exercises, smoking cessation, abstinence from alcohol and starting to eat a healthy diet which increased portions of fruits, nuts and vegetables, decreased quantity of dairy products and minimal or no dietary sugar. The daily salt intake (NaCl) should not exceed 6 gms (~2.4 gm of elemental Na+). Frequent cardiac checkups which include, blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol measurements further analysed by a Cardiologist or a Physician trained in Cardiology.
On this day, there are numerous ways an individual can participate to commemorate this event. We can plan our own event or share tips and encouraging messages on social media. We can motivate others to keep their hearts healthy and help them do the same. Wishing you all a happy and a healthy life.
